Cadillac Escalade

Just in time for an era of cheap gas and plentiful parking!

Jaguar

Jaguar has never equalled the E-Type.  That was their pinnacle.  Since then, they haven't gone downhill, but nothing else has risen to that level.  Even later E-Types didn't cut it. The coupe is timeless, in that it's still laughably ugly. The 12 cylinder version just looks overdone.  Anyway, I got to thinking that current Jags shouldn't be judged against the E-Type, but against the lesser products that came before.  How does this stack up against an XK-120?

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Detroit used to own these streets.  Long after Honda dominated places like Ohio, Chevrolet and Mercury were prestige brands.  This was 1994.  At the time, change was in the air.  Detroit was blowing it again.  Greater brand loyalty than they had at home was going away.

Now, the Mexican market appears to be wide open.  If something with as bad a reputation as Renault can sway buyers, it's anybody's ball game.

Then again, if Renaults are on your street, you might live under the protectionist umbrella of the Euro zone.  Depending on how your cheap Renault works out, you can thank or curse French taxpayers.

Kia!

ZZZZZzzzzzzz....

Seen But Not Photographed: Volvo and Audi

The first one I saw was a putty colored Volvo wagon.  It's raised a bit, in an effort to attract those who are cycling out of SUVs.  The back end looks glued on to the rest of the car.  The car is a box, and the rear is suddenly a trapezoid with rounded corners on the top.  The designers tried too hard and couldn't even be Swede-ish.  Instead, they have captured the cheapness of IKEA.

The Audi was a swanky black sedan.  The only chrome I saw identified the engine, a V6 TDI.  It's obvious what they're trying to achieve, but I suspect that it will combine the thirst of a 6, the durability of a turbo and the sluggishness of a diesel. 

The BMW That Wouldn't Go Away

I saw this one twice in the same day.  I thought it was ok from the back, but it looks hunched over from the front.

Last Year's Auto Show Brochures

I always get a bag and fill it with brochures.  I rarely read them.  It's rare that a car brochure is ever worth anything.  I cut these up and scanned the result before throwing them away.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Happy New Year, and welcome to Mexico!  Mexico City is the capital of the Western Hemisphere and worth looking at on so many levels, even if many of the pictures were taken in Cholula.  We'll be looking at many topics, including the easiest one for automotive writers, how Detroit blew it.  From there, we'll look at fun stuff, Peugeot and who knows what else!

For now, here are two pictures from both places.  Enjoy the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and Cholula's very own Tacos Robert!